The Truth Behind the Mask
by Hammy Uchiha
Summary: A day at the pool turns into the mission to see what's under Kakashi's mask.


**Note: I don't own Naruto.**

**Please review or flame.

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The Truth Behind the Mask**

By Hammy Uchiha

The young shinobi with raven hair shifted the weight of his back pack.

"What are we doing again, Arashi-sensei?" he asked awkwardly. His two teammates rolled their eyes. What a stupid question to ask. The tall, blond jounin looked over his shoulder.

"I've already told you about three times, Obito,"

"But it doesn't make any sense!"

"We're going swimming, how does that not make sense?" cut in Kakashi, Obito's silver haired teammate.

"How…. Why…is that a ninja mission?" asked Obito. Rin, the female shinobi of the group giggled. Arashi sighed.

"We're going swimming. If you want to think of it as training, we're training to relax when you get the chance," said Arashi. If he still was sane by the time he finished their training it would be a miracle.

On the four walked, at an easy pace. Obito fell back beside the kunoichi, Rin.

"This is our chance," he whispered to her. Rin raised an eyebrow; what the heck was he talking about? "We can finally see…._it_." Rin hit him over the head.

"What are you talking about?" Obito backed away from her, clutching his head.

"Kakashi-san's face," he whispered. Rin rolled her eyes. "Why would he wear a mask unless he was hiding something!" said Obito. Rin looked over at him; Obito had certainly lost his mind.

"What if…he had super huge lips, or fangs, or….a beak," whispered Obito. Rin hit him over the head again.

"We'd know if he had a beak!" she yelled.

"What are you two weirdos talking about?" asked Kakashi turning around. Rin blushed deep red.

"Obito was just being a bonehead," apologized Rin blushing deeper every second Kakashi stared at her. Kakashi rolled his eyes and turned back around.

"Just as usual," he sighed. Obito was rubbing his head.

"What if it's a little beak," he whispered. Rin turned toward him again. Obito took a step back. "It could be," he insisted. Suddenly the image of Kakashi with a beak flashed through Rin's mind. Her eye twitched. She shuddered. Obito was still staring at her.

"Will you help me discover the truth?" he asked. Rin's eye twitched again.

"Yessss, we must know what he hides beneath the mask…." she whispered.

It was still rather early in the morning when they reached the pool.

"So how are we going to do it?" asked Rin in a whisper to Obito. Obito grinned.

"When we go swimming he'll have to take his mask off," said Obito. Rin nodded.

"Of course!" she replied.

When they walked out onto the pool deck however, Obito was in a black mood.

"He's too cool to go swimming," he said to Rin, and then dove into the clear water. Rin waited; sure enough Kakashi was wearing his clothes when he came out of the changing room. Rin sighed with disappointment.

"Aw man, how lame," she said and leapt into the pool after Obito. Within moments though, Kakashi had pulled off his shirt and was sitting by the pool side, already wearing his swimming shorts. Quietly Obito and Rin rose to the surface, only their eyes sticking out above the water. They reached for Kakashi's dangling feet.

"1….2…3… Pull!" cried Obito, at that very moment Kakashi got up, his feet slipping through their grasps, and went to lie down on the pool chair. Arashi sensei was already laid back; shades on and all.

"Now what?" complained Rin. "He slipped away,"

"We're going to be here all afternoon….right?" asked Obito with an evil grin. Rin returned his grin.

"Yes."

Around noon, Anko Mitarashi and her sensei, legendary Sannin: Orochimaru showed up. When Anko saw that Obito was there at the pool her cheeks flushed pink.

"Orochimaru-sensei," she said. "You're embarrassing me, why'd we come to the pool if you don't want a tan?"

"I burn easily girl, don't push it," returned Orochimaru from under a black sunhat dangling netting and a long black cape. Anko blushed deeper; her sensei was going to embarrass her in front of Obito-kun. Orochimaru sat down in the darkest of the shade. Arashi sat up and pulled down his sunglasses.

"Good morning, Orochimaru-sama!" he called with a wave at the Snake Master. Orochimaru looked back at the blond, who was getting tan lines from his sunglasses. 'What a weirdo,' he thought. 'Then again, he was Jiraiya's student.'

Anko jumped into the pool to join Obito and Rin who were still trying to come up with a way to see Kakashi's face.

"Hey, Anko-san," said Rin.

"Hi Rin-chan…. Obito-kun,"

"Hi Anko-chan,"

"So what are you doing?" asked Anko.

"We're going to see Kakashi-san's face," Rin and Obito said together. The two blushed.

"Cool, can I help?" asked Anko.

"Sure," replied Rin.

"So how are we going to do it?" asked Anko.

"We already tried pulling him in… he slipped away," said Obito.

"How about we push him in?" offered Anko. Obito grinned evilly.

"Sounds good to me." Suddenly a dark head emerged from the water.

"What is all this talk of pushing my all-time rival into the water?" The three shinobi in training twitched. Gai Maito.

"Uhh…yeah," said Rin. Gai smiled at Rin with his ultra-shiny teeth. 'So creepy,' thought Rin.

"I will push him in for you then," said Gai like it was some horrifying task, needing to be done by some super hero.

"Alright," said Obito. Gai climbed out of the pool and walked toward Kakashi.

"Hey, Kakashi, there's something I want you to see," said Gai. Kakashi opened his eyes. Gai. He closed his eyes. "I want your opinion on it," said Gai. Kakashi made no move. "But it's probably too horrifying for you, you'd wet your pants with fear." Kakashi opened his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked getting up. Calmly Gai led the way to the edge of the pool. Kakashi stood at his side.

"Where is it?" he asked. Gai pointed down into the water. "I don't see it…" At that moment Gai pushed him in.

There was a heavy splash as Gai fell in a belly flop into the pool.

"A true shinobi never lets down his guard," said Kakashi. "You lose again, Maito-san." Kakashi walked away. Three heads popped up next to Gai.

"You're not Kakashi," said Rin in surprise.

"GRRR! It just burns me up how cool he is!" cried Gai. Rin could practically see the flames in Gai's eyes. What a weirdo.

"So now what?" asked Anko. Obito looked thoughtful. Gai looked from face to face.

"What are you three doing anyways?"

"We want to see what's under his mask," explained Obito.

"I see," said Gai. "Have you tried just asking him to take it off?" The three looked at him like he was crazy.

"Why would he actually do that?" asked Anko.

"Does he take it off when he eats?" questioned Gai. Obito frowned, he had never thought of that.

"Well…I…"

"We….should of thought of that a long time ago!" cried Rin.

Lunch came and Team Arashi plus Anko, Orochimaru, and Gai sat down to eat. The four shinobi in training watched as Kakashi picked up his chopsticks.

"What are you all staring at me for?" he asked challengingly.

"Uh…just…not hungry….well…um." Kakashi shook his head, what losers. He reached up to pull down his mask to eat. His fingers had a hold on it, he was pulling it….

Orochimaru sat down next to Kakashi blocking the four other's view of him.

"Say Uchiha-san, have you developed your Sharingan yet?" asked Orochimaru. Obito backed away. Anko blushed a furious red.

"SENSEI, YOU'RE IN THE WAY!" she cried and they all shoved the Sannin off the bench. When Kakashi was visible again he was putting down his chopsticks with a content sigh.

"Good lunch, Arashi-sensei," he complimented and got up.

"What a quick eater, and so cool about it too," said Gai.

"He must be on to us," said Anko.

"He's soo cool," said Rin.

"He must have planned that. Anko, your sensei makes my skin crawl," said Obito. Anko's face turned pink.

"I'm sorry about that; Orochimaru-sensei is a little…uh…different."

"So now what?" asked Obito, taking a small bite of the rice. He wasn't too hungry anymore.

The four sat in sulky silence eating their food, while meanwhile, behind them Kakashi took a swim. As they finished up their meal, Kakashi climbed out of the pool, his back to them.

"There he is!" cried Rin, looking up just at that moment.

"Get him!" yelled Gai. The four leapt and took off; they had to beat Kakashi to his mask. As they ran, Obito slipped in a puddle of water, as he fell he grabbed on to Rin, who grabbed Anko, who grabbed Gai. They fell in a tangled jumble into the water. By the time they came to the surface Kakashi had his mask back on and was lying down on his chair.

"OBITO!" roared the other three rising up. Obito backed away.

"It was an accident," he pleaded taking a step back.

Kakashi watched with slight amusement as the three beat Obito up. He would have joined them, but he was tired. He closed his eyes and fell asleep to Obito's begging for mercy.

"Stop!" cried Anko and pointed to the pool side. "Look, Kakashi's fallen asleep!"

"All we have to do is quietly sneak up…" said Gai.

"And pull it off!" finished Rin. Obito limped after them as they climbed in silence from the water.

"Where are you off too?" asked Arashi as the four snuck past him. They stopped all turning to Arashi with the death look.

"Shhh!" the said at once fingers to lips. Arashi watched as they snuck up to Kakashi. Rin's hand went forward to the mask. This was it, the moment of truth!

Her trembling hand touched the mask. They all froze, but Kakashi did not wake. Rin's fingers curled around the fabric and…

"What are you doing?" asked Kakashi suddenly. Rin's hand zipped like lightning back to her side. They all put on big cheesy smiles.

"Nothing….nothing at all….just taking a walk," they fumbled for words. Kakashi shook his head again. He was surrounded by idiots.

They piled back into the water except Obito who sat on the edge. He was feeling sore, and hurt after the earlier incident. Further away out in the water, the group tried to come up with some other way to see what was under the mask. Orochimaru came and sat beside Obito.

"So about your Sharingan…" he began. Obito looked at him. What a creepo.

"None of your business," he replied.

"I could make you strong boy…."

"SENSEI!" Anko grabbed Orochimaru's ankle and dragged him in. Thankfully Obito smiled at Anko. She blushed.

"Stop being creepy Orochimaru-sensei," she said to him as he climbed out of the water and Obito jumped back in. The farther away he was from Orochimaru the better.

Orochimaru got out and glaring at Anko he shed his now drenched hat and cape. Until he stood in his swimming trunks. Arashi, who had taken off his sunglasses to get rid of the tan lines, put them back on against the blinding paleness of Orochimaru's skin.

"Ew," said Gai and faced away from the pale Sannin.

"I'm scarred for life!" cried Rin in horror. Obito didn't even look at the Sannin. Anko looked open mouthed at him.

"Put your cape back on Sensei," she begged. "You're embarrassing me again!"

"Anko, we're going back, right now," said Orochimaru. "Quick before I burn!"

"Bye," said Anko waving. "Good luck,"

"Bye Anko-chan!" they all called, unable to look at her for the simple reason that she now stood so close to Orochimaru and his snow white skin.

They were out of ideas, and all frankly scarred by Orochimaru, except Obito who didn't look at the paleness in the first place. Gai shivered.

"I hope I never turn out like Anko's sensei,"

"The creepiness?" asked Obito.

"Or the paleness?" asked Rin.

"Both."

Within an hour Gai decided he had to leave. Getting out he waved and walked off.

"I will win Kakashi-san," he said as he passed the masked teen.

"Keep dreaming, Gai," replied Kakashi.

"Well team," said Arashi with a yawn. "We should probably get going too." Arashi got up and picked up his towel off his chair. Kakashi followed him. Rin and Obito got out of the pool as well.

Rin dried off quickly and pulled back on her clothes and flip flops. She walked out of the locker room just as Kakashi was walking out. This was her last chance, she was desperate, and she had to do something.

"OH!" she cried fake slipping. As she fell she grabbed onto Kakashi, one arm over his shoulder the other hand caught his mask and pulled it down. She fell to the ground a little softer than she might've and looked up into the face of Kakashi Hatake. Rin's mouth hung open and she blushed.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Kakashi.

Obito came out of the locker room as Kakashi was finishing pulling back up his mask.

"What happened to you?" he asked Rin pulling to her feet.

"I…I saw _it_," she said.

"WHAT? What'd it look like?" he asked. Rin's face turned red as she blushed.

"It was….oh…so…" she began and then started giggling. "He looks…like…oh!" and she fainted. Obito caught her.

He couldn't believe it.

"HOW DID I MISS IT?"

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**Please review.**

**-Hammy Uchiha **


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